Oh BABY! Check out this week’s “Store Spotlight” with Baby, It’s You in Riverdale, NY. Rose Ann Milo, owner of Baby, It’s You, tells us about her fun feng shui tactics in her store, embroidering heirloom items for kids and making it in the business for 34 successful years.
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1. What is your best or most memorable moment in your store?
Rose Ann: My grand opening party 34 years ago! All of my friends and family were there to support me. It was happiness, and loving and caring people who supported me.
2. What sets you apart as a successful children’s store?
Rose Ann: The uniqueness of a store and being able to walk a customer through an entire store and really know your product. After a customer shops, it’s good to individually wrap each item and personally deliver items throughout your neighborhood if necessary. We also hand paint anything that is wood and embroider anything with cloth. For example, for a “baby’s first birth” we embroider on a cute blankie or towel. A unique type of embroidery we offer at our store is when customers buy a christening slip or gown, we embroider the date to make it an heirloom that can be passed down through the generations.
3. You probably have seen hundreds of mommies and daddies come through your store and hear them speaking with their children – what is the funniest or sweetest thing you have heard come out of a child’s mouth recently?
Rose Ann: What comes to my mind is that a lot of the children don’t speak, they just CRY. Ha! There are so many babies coming into my store on a daily basis.
4. Are you a Riverdale, New York native? Describe the neighborhood your store is in for us.
Rose Ann: Yes, I am a Riverdale native! Hm, how would I describe our neighborhood? Riverdale is one of the most sophisticated places to live. We have the best schools and it is an amazing place for education. There is a great park that overlooks the palisades too. Overall, it is a city with a strong country feeling. You could go 2 blocks off the main road and you will feel like you are in the country. I really love how it is a melting pot with all different walks of life.
Red Envelope and an Evil Eye
5. What is one fact about your store that a typical customer wouldn’t know?
Rose Ann: I had feng shui performed on my store for good luck and good sales! I have a Chinese red envelope in the back of my store filled with rice for good luck too! I also have a crystal ball in the front of the store, along with an evil eye.
6. What type of clothing did you wear growing up as kid? What tip would you give to a parent dressing a child? Do you have a picture of you as a kid you can share with us?
Rose Ann: When I was a kid, we wore uniforms at school and after school we switched into casual clothing. I remember on the weekend, we went to Manhattan to buy our coats and fancy clothes. My tip for any parent would be to NOT buy clothing that is too big. So many parents these days buy clothing that is swimming on their children. The parents buy too big to try and get a longer wear out of the clothing, but it just doesn’t look right!
7. What is 1 tip you would give a parent on how to update your child’s wardrobe this summer?
Rose Ann: Buy 3 or 4 different outfits where you can mix and match them with basic colors. Accessories can also change an outfit very easily – I always love adding a headband or belt to make the outfit look updated.
8. If you had one piece of advice for someone entering children’s retail today, what would it be?
Rose Ann: Walk away! Just joking. In all fairness, in this economy it is very difficult to have a great childrenswear boutique. If you are established you are okay [for business], but even customers who have money in this economy want a discount! But on a more positive note if you do want to start a store, make it as unique as possible and make it a full service store – walk the customer through the whole store, allow them to try any outfit on, and personalize the item. Make your store have things you can’t find on mass distribution type level like a Target. Wrapping is key!
9. What collection or piece from Le Top or Le Top Baby line do you love from the Spring/Summer 2010 collection?
Rose Ann: The ducky group [Daisy Duck Collection] is the BEST! Absolutely the best!
BABY, IT’S YOU
3727 Riverdale Avenue
Riverdale, New York 10463
718.548.1134
http://babyitsyou.net
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My cousin, Joslyn, is getting ready to have Baby #2 (a girl, Haven Bella) soon and this weekend, we are holding her baby shower! Since I work at a baby and kids clothing company, it’s no secret that most of my baby shower gifts are going to be our gorgeous baby clothes from 
I have come across a lot of these online, but was never sure exactly how they did it. So the other night, I YouTube’d it, and sure enough there was a cheesy – though resourceful – How-To video. I bought the diapers, the ribbon, the jewels, the rubber bands, and the pins (my variation from double-stick tape), and went to work. I had to roll the diapers slightly differently than the video explained because the cute “character scene” on the front was turning my white cake into a blue one. All in all it took about 45 minutes to roll 92 diapers (size 1 & 2) and assemble them in the cake layers; about 30 minutes to put the ribbons and the jewels on; and 5 seconds to lay the shoes on the top as the cake topper.
Le Top blog 